Virgin Night

It's wholesome and beautifully compassionate cringe.

As one's grows up and began to experiment sexually, pornography is usually a starting point for many. While it's by definition a film genre and fantasy it can also be a reassuring mirror to one's own reality with it's fears and doubts. Erotic anime is not know for being slice of life or being realistic in any degree but there are titles like Virgin Night that hit's and sticks with you.

Centered around a young couple and their first time it takes it time to give us insight to the state of their relationship but also the fears that ... comes with not having any experience. The awkwardness that follows the frailty of seduction and the consummation of love. The camera never lingers unto "meat shots" or thereof it's placed upon their eyes, their shivering and their heightened psychological state. Which is why it sound design fit's perfectly to add another layer of realism, to further give us a viewpoint to what's going on. The touch of hands, the rocking of the bed, the nervous breathing and cries of joy. It's more psychological than downright voyeuristic.

No words can truly describe the feelings I felt as I watched this hentai.

Take it from me, someone who masturbates to hentai regularly, this single OVA managed to make me limp simply from how good the presentation was. It's unbelievable how simple and pure the story is and yet, manages to leave me speechless and in awe at what I just saw.

I went in fully prepared to blow my load, and only after a few minutes of watching, it's just THAT GOOD that I couldn't do it. The entire scene is just too pure that you can't masturbate to it. You'd feel too guilty if ... you did.

My quest for a well executed hentai has finally bore a fruit that appealed to me in a personal way. Casting aside the traditional angst and horns of hentai anime, Virgin Night proceeds to offer a rather genuine and endearing depiction of sexual intercourse. A simple short story, and simple emotions. But executed with heart.

It's not just about a couple having their first sex, it's about their emotions surrounding it. Granted, many other hentai have the same approach. But none of the ones I've seen were so humane in the presentation. And despite being narrated by the male, the feelings of the female were transmitted ... perfectly through her actions and reactions.

Not to draw comparison, Futari Ecchi was a great hentai that depicted emotions very well. But that anime wasn't approaching this aspect in a delicate manner like this one. Virgin Night is tender, it's sweet, and it's touching with the normal interactions. And its visual depiction, while not particularly well processed, presented the softness of everything with care. The environment, the world, the room, the atmosphere, everything was carefully crafted, not only visually but also contextually.

There are however some things holding it back. As I mentioned earlier, there are some moments where the characters weren't visually processed very well on its world. The voice acting at the time of their sex wasn't very consistent to the visual movements. But aside from the mild drawbacks, it's an immensely satisfying hentai anime in many ways. I'd love to see more hentai like this that are so passionately crafted.